Piston rod testing apparatus



Jan. 30, 1940. T. v. BUcKwALTER PISTON ROD TESTING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Oct. 17, 1958 Jam 30, 1940 v. BucKwALTER 2,188,853

PISTON ROD TESTING APPARATUS Filed oct. 17, 195s 2 lsheetsshee' 2 Patented Jan. 30, 1940 Il YPISTQN STING APPARATUS Tracy -Buckwalten Massillon, '.Ohio, :assigner Lto The Tinken Rller' Bearing" Company,l Canton, "Ohio, a coi-poration of Ohio 'Application=.0ctober 17,

y 6 Claims. v"ii/Iy-'inventim relates to ythe testing -oflocomotive piston rods and thelli-keiandfh-as for? its principalbject lan apparatus for that purpose which will provide for the rapid alternation of stress in said piston rod between tension and compression, thereby simulating the stressing of such piston rods in actual service.

The invention consists principally in a frame whereby two piston rods are held in endwise alinement with their adjacent ends slightly spaced apart and with their remote ends pivotally mounted, pivotally interconnected members mounted on said adjacent ends and means for rapidly reciprocating the pivot between said members, such rapid reciprocation rapidly alternating the stress in the piston rods between compression and tension. The invention further consists in the piston rod testing apparatus and in the parts and combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Fig.` 1 is a plan view of a piston rod testing apparatus embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation,

Fig. 3 isa vertical sectional view on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional View on `the line 4-4 in Fig. 1. I

Secured to end frame members I, as by bolts 2 and nuts 3 are stationary heads 4 which are connected by means of rigid tie rods 5. Each of said heads 4 has an outstanding vertically disposed ear 6 having a horizontal opening 'I therethrough. In each of said openings 'I is pivotally supported the main rod receiving portion of the wrist pin 8 of a locomotive crosshead 9 to which is secured a locomotive piston rod I0. Said piston rods I0 are disposed in endwise alinement with a space between the adjacent ends thereof and to said adjacent or piston ends I I of said piston rods are secured clamp members I2.

In the construction illustrated, the piston ends II of said rods are tapered and have shoulders I3 adjacent to said tapered portions. Said clamp members I2 have conical openings I4 mounted on said piston rod ends and are held in place by means of nuts I5. One clamp member has vertically disposed projecting jaws or plates I6 and the other clamp member has similar jaws or plates I1 spaced somewhat further apart and overlapping the outer faces of said jaws of said rst clamp member. Said plates I6 and l1 are provided with openings I8 through which is disposed a pin I9 to whose middle portion, between said jaws, is secured the upper end of a drive rod -onfafldriveriiskn drivenbyany suitable-:means 'asfranielectric motor.

Rotation of said drive disk 22 imparts a rapid reciprocating movement to the drive rod ZIJ, which thus rapidly raises and lowers the jaw members I2. Such reciprocating movement tends to swing the piston rods I0 back and forth about the centers of the crosshead pins 8 but the jaw-- connected ends of said rods, being tied together, are forced to move up and down vertically, thereby imposing compression and tension strains in rapid alternation on the two piston rod and crosshead assemblies. The test may be continued until one of the rods, or a crosshead portion, breaks. Conditions of the test can be varied as needed by changing the throw ofthe eccentric and the speed of rotation.

Obviously the above described arrangement affords an excellent test for locomotive piston rods,

subjecting them to rapidly alternating compression and tension simulating service conditions.

What I claim is:

1. A machine for testing locomotive piston rods and the like, comprisngla frame stationary heads rigidly secured to said frame and each adapted to pivotally support one end of a piston rod, said rods being in endwise alinement with their adjacentrends slightly spaced apart, jaw members 2. A machine for testing locomotive piston rods rigidly secured to said adjacent ends of said rods,

a pin for pivotally securing said jaws together and means for giving said jaws a vertical reciprocating movement.

3. A machine for testing locomotive piston rod and crosshead assemblies and the like, comprising a frame stationary heads rigidly secured to said frame and each adapted to pivotally support Vthe crosshead of a piston rod, saidrods being in endwise alinement with their adjacent ends slightly spaced apart, jaw members adapted tovbe rigidly secured to said adjacent ends of said rods, a pin for pivotally securing said jaws together and means for giving said jaws a reciprocating movement.

yton rod fixed thereto and with said rods disposed in vndvvise alinement with their adjacent ends spaced apart, jaw members adapted to be rigidly secured to said' ends of said rods, a pin for pivotally connecting said jaw members, a

drive rod secured to said pin and means for reciprocating said drive rod.

5. A machine for testing locomotive piston rods and the like comprising spaced stationary heads connected by rigid tie rods, vertically disposed ears projecting from said heads, each ear having a horizontal opening for receiving the main rod receiving portion of the Wrist pin of a locomotive crosshead having a piston rod iiXed thereto and with saidvrods disposed in endWise alinement with their adjacent ends `spaced apart, .clamp members adapted to be rigidly secured to said ends of said rods, said clamp members having vertically n disposed overlapping plates, a pinpivotally conf necting said plates, a drive rod secured to said pin and means for reciprocating said drive rod.` l

6. A machine -for testing locomotive piston rods and the like comprising spaced stationary heads connected by rigid tie rods, ears projecting from said heads, each ear having an opening for receiving the main rod receiving portion of the Wrist pin of a locomotivev crossheadhaving a pisv` ton rod fixed thereto and with said rods disposed in endwisealinement WithI their adjacent ends spaced apart, clamp members adapted toi' be rigidly secured to said ends of said rods, one

clamp memberv having vertically disposed spaced plates integral therewith and the other clamp' member having vertical plates overlapping the outer faces of said rst plates, la pin extending through said plates and pivotally connecting v them, a drive rod secured to said pin in the space between saidlrst plates and means for reciproeating said drive rod.` f

TRACYV. BUCKWALTER; 

